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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · leaves · pit · mine · staff · calf · fan · track

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mine — for digging
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. track — a path
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. track — a song
  19. staff — employees
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. staff — employees
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com